Donating Gay Blood

[linguist]

Asking potential donors some questions about lifestyle is not a bad idea.

the question as posed goes beyond just a lifestyle question, though. they ask if it's happened even once, which could well mean unwillingly.

a friend of mine (who is straight) has been barred from donating because he was raped by another man when he was a teenager. nevermind that this happened one time 15+ years ago, and he's been tested for hiv multiple times since, and had every test come back negative.

[KitterCat]

In the US the CDC's official definition of an epidemic is: "The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time." Since some diseases become more prevalent or lethal over time, while others become less severe, the CDC must adjust its statistical models to alter the definition of what's truly more than expected.

Statistics released by the Public Health Agency of Canada in 2005 indicate that men who have sex with men represented 58 per cent of the HIV/AIDS cases in Canada.

This would in fact constitute an epidemic. Now given the info below

Here is what the CDC says about the window period for HIV:
"Antibodies generally appear within three months after infection with HIV, but may take up to six months in some persons."

I for one would not want to receive blood from a person who has over a 50% shot of having a disease of any type that will slowly kill me, gay or otherwise. Sorry to the other 42% who aren’t infected but I for one am not willing to risk my health to make you feel better. Same goes to any other group who’s more concerned about their feelings than others health. After all how many people do you know who go and have themselves tested every 3 months or even 6 months for a disease of any type. I myself only get tested for every STD/major disease once a year, only because my husband works in the medical field and in the slight chance he accidentally brings something home we would rather know sooner than later.

Now you can be deferred, which can go into banned for life, due to:
Anyone who has ever used intravenous drugs (illegal IV drugs)
Men who have had sexual contact with other men since 1977
Anyone who has ever received clotting factor concentrates
Anyone with a positive test for HIV (AIDS virus)
Men and women who have engaged in sex for money or drugs since 1977
Anyone who has had hepatitis since his or her eleventh birthday
Anyone who has had babesiosis or Chagas disease
Anyone who has taken Tegison for psoriasis
Anyone who has risk factors for Crueutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or who has an immediate family member with CJD
Anyone who has risk factors for vCJD
Anyone who spent three months or more in the United Kingdom from 1980 through 1996
Anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom or France from 1980 to the present
Anyone who has spent five years in Europe from 1980 to the present.



Screening tests performed are listed below:
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)
Hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV)
HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody (anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2)
HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibody (anti-HTLV-I and anti-HTLV-II)
Serologic test for syphilis
Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for HIV-1 and HCV
NAT for West Nile virus (WNV) (this test is not required by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], the organization responsible for federally regulating the blood supply)
Anitbody test for Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease (this test is also not required by FDA)


That leaves a lot of disease out. So if they find out that you’ve been out of country where a particular disease is, people in the medical field by and large error on the side of caution. While your blood may be perfectly fine and keep showing under testing that its perfectly fine no one wants to have to tell a patient ‘oh sorry, we gave you blood from someone we knew had a higher risk of carrying -blank-, but tests showed they were clear. Unfortunately a mistake happened and you now have -blank-”. To put it mildly it sort of sucks for both the Doctor -since he’s liable to be sued for unsafe practice and the patient - since they now have to live with it.

To Crash Helmet - You pointed out that it was suspected that you may have come in contact with MadCow Disease since you traveled to Europe. So far we have yet to have a human occurrence in the US from a person who hasn’t traveled to Europe. Given that there is not a definitive medical test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease/MCD you will probably never be able to donate. For all you or the doctors know you’re a carrier and no one wants to take the risk of passing something like MCD.

To Jackfaire- same thing, no one is willing to risk passing on a disease. No one wants to deal with the inability both legally and mentally of giving something to some unsuspecting person through no fault of their own just because they needed a blood transfusion.

I know it sucks for both of you, I know your probably more than willing to help people out for the betterment of humanity and save a few lives, but the rules are in place for reasons.

[jackfaire]

I know it sucks for both of you, I know your probably more than willing to help people out for the betterment of humanity and save a few lives, but the rules are in place for reasons.

Doesn't affect me yet I have never had sex with a man. Thus I am still allowed to donate if I choose.

I don't disagree my point though is that the line should be all high risk sexual behaviors not just, are you gay.

For one being Gay is not in and of itself a high risk sexual behavior. Promiscuity is. Being gay doesn't mean I am jumping from bed to bed like the common preception.

[Nyoibo]

Statistics released by the Public Health Agency of Canada in 2005 indicate that men who have sex with men represented 58 per cent of the HIV/AIDS cases in Canada.

<snip>

I for one would not want to receive blood from a person who has over a 50% shot of having a disease of any type that will slowly kill me, gay or otherwise. Sorry to the other 42% who aren’t infected but I for one am not willing to risk my health to make you feel better. Same goes to any other group who’s more concerned about their feelings than others health. After all how many people do you know who go and have themselves tested every 3 months or even 6 months for a disease of any type. I

I need to point out a flaw in your post here, 58% of people infected with HIV/AIDS are gay, not 58% of gay people have HIV/AIDS, if 1,000,000 people have HIV then 580,000 of them are gay (by those stats) however if there's 10,000,000 gay people then the percentage of gay people with HIV is only 5.8%

[BlaqueKatt]

Promiscuity is. Being gay doesn't mean I am jumping from bed to bed like the common preception.

and sadly I know someone who perpetuates this myth-my former co-worker Pup-he once told me that "gay men have sex to say hello, it's the same as a handshake"

He got kinda mad when I said no, they don't and you are not doing your fellow LBGT friends any favors by saying that....Then he tried telling me that homosexual relationships last longer because monogamy is only a "straight person" thing....I actually IRL *headdesk* at that one....

He doesn't quite get that what he/people he knows do/es =/=what everyone that shares certain traits with him does.

[Nyoibo]

unfortunately stereotypes have a basis in fact, I know 2 gay guys in monogamous relationships, I know too many who sleep with a different guy almost every night, even more so than the straight guys I know sleep with different women. I know too many gay guys who do treat a blow job like a hand shake.

[fireheart17]

Do condoms still come with instructions not to use them for anything other than vaginal sex?

I should think so...usually the warning is, ONLY use extra-strength condoms or condoms designed for anal sex. Oral sex is not a problem.

However, I am not permitted to give blood. Why? Because I lived in Germany for 2 years in the 80s. Apparently, they think I may have been exposed to Mad Cow Disease.

It's been over 20 years. I think I would've shown at least ONE symptom by now.

CH

In Australia it's from 1980-96 and only if you lived in the UK.

Also, regarding the original post, anyone who has participated in risky sexual behaviour needs to wait twelve months Down Under.

And more out of interest here....

In Australia you are indefinitely barred from donating if...

-you've had leukaemia, lyphoma or myeloma
-you've had a heart attack (ever)
-you have or had Hepatitis C.
-you lived in the UK between 1980-1996
-you have MS.
-you have polycythaemia (rubra) vera (meaning an overproduction in red blood cells. You CAN donate, BUT it's not used for transfusion)
-your spleen was removed to treat a chronic illness.
-you have systemic lupus erythematosus. (fitness reasons)
-you have self-injected. (even once)

You can't donate for a period of time after....

-you've worked in an abbotoir (during your employment and 12 months after)
-you've had acupuncture (plasma only if single use equipment was used, otherwise 12 months)
-you're under the influence of alcohol. (however long it takes to sober up)
-you've been taking antibiotics (5 days after antibiotic treatment, 1 week after infection has fully cleared up)
-you've had a blood transfusion (12 months)
-you've given birth and/or are breastfeeding (during pregnancy and for about 9 months afterwards)
-you've had cancer (5 years)
-you've been in prison recently (12 months)
-you've had dengue fever (4 weeks)
-you've had any dental treatment (24 hours)
-you've had diahorea (1-4 weeks)
-you've had glandular fever (2 weeks)
-you've had hepatitis A or B (12 months)
-you've had lyme disease (2 weeks)
-you've had a piercing of some description (anywhere from 24 hours to 12 months, depending on the location and equipment)
-you've been involved in risky sexual behaviours (12 months). These are defined as sex with a gay man, sex while overseas with a stranger, sex with a bisexual man or working as a sex worker or engaging with a sex worker.
-you've had your spleen removed due to trauma (12 months)
-you've had a tattoo or had cosmetic tattooing (12 months)
-you've been in a high-risk country for malaria (4 months), HIV/AIDS (12 months) or vCJD (mad cow disease and it's only in a few cases)
-you've had certain vaccines (anywhere from 1 week to 4 four weeks)
-you've been with a partner who self-injects (12 months)

all from the Red Cross Blood Donor Website in Australia.

[XiaoTortuga]

There are extra strength condoms for anal sex.

I can never give blood (under current policies) because I had sex with my ex who is male and was raped by a man when he was 9 years old.

And fuck off to all the people who pry into why I don't give blood. Do you really want to know that?

(This is in the US)